Pre-pandemic, director Wes Anderson appeared to be no stranger at the box office, having churned out profitable hits such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Moonrise Kingdom. For some reason, however, his projects post-2020 have struggled to meet similar results, with only one film, 2023’s Asteroid City, able to surpass $50M at the box office. 2025’s The Phoenician Scheme is now Wes Anderson’s lowest-grossing film in nearly 20 years. With a budget reported at $30M, the film has garnered only $18M domestically, plus another $17M overseas, at a combined $35M profit nearing the end of its theatrical run. This follows 2021’s The French Dispatch gross of $45M.
The Phoenician Scheme, which is sitting at a comfortable 78% Rotten Tomatoes score, is currently screening in only about 300 domestic locations, which implies that the rest of the film’s profits must rely on international revenue. The film stars Benicio del Toro leading an ensemble cast including Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Riz Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and newcomer Mia Threapleton. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival to mostly favorable reviews. Like most of the working film industry, profits and attendance for Wes Anderson projects have seen a decline post-pandemic. The Phoenician Scheme is set to debut on VOD in just a few days.
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